Academy pulls away for 3-0 Trials win

With coaches from the Houston Dynamo first team in attendance, it was the youngsters from the Dynamo Academy who seized the occasion on Thursday night in the showcase match of the Dynamo Trials 2010, presented by Wells Fargo. The Dynamo's U-18 team overwhelmed the Trials squad, turning a 27-10 shot advantage into a 3-0 victory.

The 15 Trials players had passed two rounds of testing - fitness and skills - just to reach this game, but they had only had one practice session together prior to Thursday's match. They were outmatched in terms of skill almost from the opening whistle, although they had the majority of the fans - including a large section cheering on 28-year-old defender Joshua Clark.

Despite their disadvantage, the Trials team, which included two players from the Dynamo South Texas Academy, actually managed the first shot on goal of the game, an optimistic shot from distance by Lufkin, Texas native Daniel Aguinaga that Graham Wheeler (Katy Taylor) saved easily in the 19th minute.

At the other end, goalkeeper Philip Blake (Deer Park), an Academy goalkeeper loaned to the Trials squad, was considerably busier. The Academy's best early chance came in the 10th minute, when captain Abé Matamoros (Strake Jesuit) drove a corner kick to the edge of the six-yard box, where forward Chance Bergen used his considerable aerial ability to separate from the back line, but his downward header went wide. Blake then made his first save in the 23rd minute, knocking a rasping shot from Miguel Zapata (Katy Mayde Creek) around the post.

The Academy finally broke through in the 30th minute with good buildup through the midfield. The active Bryan Celis (Katy Mayde Creek) played a pass to the top of the penalty area, where Bergen laid it off skillfully for an onrushing Sebastian Karpen (Spring Branch Memorial), who burst into the box and easily slotted a shot into the lower left corner.

The Trials squad managed to stay in the game, however, and almost tied it shortly before halftime. Colombia native Michael Ordonez Rodriguez, who had impressed coaches in the fitness and skills tests, moved into the center of the field and showed several nice touches before lofting a ball into the penalty area, where it was handled by a Dynamo Academy defender. Ordonez Rodriguez stepped up to the penalty kick himself, but he used a trick run-up to send Wheeler the wrong way and was booked for coming to a stop. The Trials team was, however, harshly denied another chance to take the penalty kick.

The Academy had one more outstanding chance before halftime, with Bergen again laying the ball off, this time near the midfield stripe, and Celis bursting through for a 40-yard run on goal, but his low shot was saved by a sliding Blake.

In the second half, Academy wing Martin Castillo (Pasadena Sam Rayburn) stepped up his game with two close chances, one saved by Blake and another that crashed against the crossbar after a terrific long ball from Zapata.

The U-18 attacking triumvirate of Bergen, Matamoros, and Castillo all eventually made way for replacements in the second half, and Diego Velazquez (Lone Star College) had a good chance saved in the 64th minute. He then turned provider in the 75th minute, crossing from the left to the top of the penalty area, where Siegfried Casar (Spring Branch Memorial) laid the ball back to Josue Morales (Houston Chavez), who took a touch before rifling a lethal left-footed shot to the top right corner for the second goal.

Celis sealed the game with the final kick, making a run into the penalty area, briefly losing the ball, then sliding to beat Blake (six saves) for one last tally to make it a 3-0 final.